


Mothman is REAL and he starts FIRES

by IHeartSnuffles



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Cryptozoology, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Rating May Change, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Slow Burn, The Secret Saturdays AU, or Cryptid AU if you dunno that show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:02:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IHeartSnuffles/pseuds/IHeartSnuffles
Summary: A Secret Saturdays AU (or a regular cryptid au but with a science/angsty twist for those who haven't seen the show)Galo was 6 years old when his parents brought him to a Sumerian dig site they were contracted for. Lio was 10 years old when his aunt let him hitch a ride to the dig site she was working on.Gueira and Meis were fresh out of highschool interns, their internship completely slipping their minds as they watched the dig site devolve into absolute chaos. And amidst the rescue efforts, the young boy with the piercing pink eyes caught their attention.It was on this day that Galo Thymos and Lio Fotia’s lives would forever be changed, and inexorably twined.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia & Gueira & Meis, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 11
Kudos: 50





	1. Prologue

Galo was 6 years old when his parents brought him to a Sumerian dig site they were contracted for. He couldn’t tell you much about his memories of the explosion, of the scream ripped from his throat when his parents disappeared in the rubble. Yet he could tell you about the strong arm that wrapped around him and pulled him back, saved him before the building collapsed, protected him in the face of everything he cherished as it was being ripped away. He only remembers being saved, whether it was a blessing or a curse.

“Hey there’s a kid here! Someone help!” He heard a rough voice and felt an arm hooked around his waist as he was suddenly dragged back from the bodies of his parents underneath the collapsed stones, his cheeks wet with tears. He looked up to see who saved him, a big man with a face like his comic book heroes. He didn’t see the bloodied stump on the other arm, nor did he see the quiet rage in the man’s eyes. All he saw was the man who saved him. And once he was safe and sound, in the care of the man who saved him, all he could feel was gratitude.

He had to become the best he could be to repay Kray Foresight for his selflessness.

\---

Lio was 10 years old when his aunt let him hitch a ride to the dig site she was working on. She’d told him stories of ancient Sumerian folklore, warning him of the dangers of the excavation amidst her ranting about the benefactor being a “rich dickhead with too much money on the brain”. He begged her to let him visit just this once before they had to hit the road, and with his curiosity piqued there was no way she could say no. They were scientists after all.

His lungs burned with an unfamiliar feeling and his eyes stung as he watched her fall to the floor lifeless. He doesn’t recall much else besides the burning rage that bloomed in his breast, the fear, and the complete and utter despair. The despair that shook him like the ground beneath his feet as everything he loved was buried under meters of destroyed buildings and broken relics.

Gueira and Meis were fresh out of highschool interns, their internship completely slipping their minds as they watched the dig site devolve into absolute chaos. And amidst the rescue efforts, the young boy with the piercing pink eyes caught their attention. Their former site manager’s ward, Ms. Fotia’s nephew, was still alive and cradling his aunt’s body with the look of a child possessed. A child who looked as if he would burn everything and anything that got in his way. In that moment the two knew they had an unspoken duty to this child, and as the kid crumpled to the floor, both of them reached out to catch him.

It was on this day that Galo Thymos and Lio Fotia’s lives would forever be changed, and inexorably twined.

\---

**[FOUR YEARS LATER]**

“A’ight Boss, here comes the launch!” Gueira’s grin was almost irritating as he pressed a fork loaded with food right into his face. Lio’s mouth stubbornly stayed closed, his eyes full of rage. “C’mon kid, you can’t ignore Meis’ delicious food for long. We know you’re hungry.”

Lio’s stomach growled almost comically at that, the boy’s cheeks tinting slightly as he grabbed the fork and shoved it in his mouth, not dignifying his guardian with a look. Gueira sighed with relief as he watched Lio begin to finally eat despite the food going cold. He stood up from the table, gathering his dishes and slowly making his way to the kitchen. Satisfied with how Lio was scarfing down his food, he joined Meis at the sink.

“No words yet, but he looked at me for a bit there. Any luck on your end today?” Gueira’s watch beeped in notification but he silenced it as they cleaned up dinner, pressing a kiss to his partner’s cheek.

“I got a self satisfied huff when he finally beat me in sparring, and that was the highlight of my afternoon.” Meis shrugged, “Other than that, I happened to hear him softly murmuring to Shinryu in the recuperation room but that’s all. We just have to wait for him to recognize us as his family.”

“Figured the teenage angst would wear off by now, guess that doc’s estimation was kinda right. Sucks he’s unable to communicate with us outside of his usual variety of glares.” Gueira’s shoulders sagged as he leaned against the counter. “Any idea how long the trauma lasts? I’m worried he won’t be able to tell us if something’s wrong. I don’t wanna annoy him though...”

A clatter of utensils on a clean plate shocked them out of the conversation, the two spinning around to see Lio with his open hand above the counter. His plate was safely on the counter, but his fork had fallen to the floor. He swiftly nabbed it, jamming it onto the plate with a quiet huff. He blinked at Gueira and Meis for a moment, his pink eyes seemingly piercing both of them as he analyzed the situation.

And then he inhaled, opened his mouth, halting for a moment only to clear his throat, and whispered “Thank you.” Lio bowed jerkily with an embarrassed blush, and then ran out of the room.

Gueira and Meis stood there in absolute silence, the water running from the tap completely forgotten. A beat passed, then the two looked at each other and grinned. Their fears hadn’t entirely been assuaged, but with those two words a weight lifted from both of them as they raced after their young charge with excited laughter.

“Y’welcome Boss!” “You're very welcome Boss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished outlining the entire plot for this wild fucking ride of a fic after Redux (which was on my birthday btw) and thanks to the Discord I figured out a (kinda temporary) title for this fic. Alternative titles: "Mad Burnish Spotted!! NOT CLICKBAIT", "Mothman Stole my Pepsi and Called Me a Bitch" and my personal fav "Bigfoot is REAL and he ROASTED Kray Foresight!"
> 
> If you've never heard of The Secret Saturdays, the full two seasons are online for free via google search, it's one of my absolute favorite Cartoon Network shows EVER. It's more than a lil silly (it's a 2008 show) but it's got good cryptids and one of the best voiced villains, I highly recommend it!!
> 
> Anyways cartoon-plug aside, please let me know in the comments what y'all think about this as it's a dream project of mine. Hit me up on twitter @striderincident if you wanna talk Promare, thank you so much for reading!!!


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galo's got daddy issues, Ignis is [this fucking close], Gueira and Meis are overprotective helicopter moms, and Lio needs a fucking beer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lovingly beta'd by our dear nekky and demi from the Promare Discord (extremely cursed™ 100/10 would recommend)

“Alright, next person to dare Galo to do something stupid is getting assigned to set up camp during the next expedition.” A voice boomed from the staircase above the Burning Rescue Laboratory common room, Chief Ignis Ex descending with his signature disappointed scowl. He’d heard shrieks of pain and quickly left his office, only to find one (1) Galo Thymos with a very angry Vinny clinging to his nose by his teeth while his teammates cheered and laughed as he rolled around on the ground. “What in the hell did you do Rookie?”

“Lucia and Varys dared him to sneak a bite of Vinny’s stash of cheese from the fridge, needless to say my warnings were ignored.” Remi spoke up from the corner of the room, sitting in his usual spot on the couch by his laptop with a cup of coffee. 

Aina was beside him, sprawled out on the rest of the couch with her headphones in, completely ignoring Galo’s antics. She opened her eyes and nodded at Ignis “Can vouch, told him it was a terrible idea.”

“Vinny, let go of Galo. Lucia, Varys, go finish organizing those case files before I revoke your lab rights for the week. My office. Now, Rookie.”

The clipped tone made Galo pause his pained rolling, gingerly holding his nose as he stood up quickly. “Aw Chief don’t worry, your number one Secret Scientist is one hundred percent fine! No need to check up on me, my fighting soul is-”

“It’s your benefactor.”

All eyes honed in on Galo, who went ramrod still. Everyone in Burning Rescue knew who Galo Thymos’ benefactor was. The man who personally recommended the newest, and most animated, member of their elite team.

“I’ll… I’ll be up in a sec.” Galo wheezed, turning and dashing back to his designated quarters. He wasn’t in uniform, and there was no way he was letting Section Governor Kray Foresight see him so unprofessional.

Aina winced as he slammed through the double doors leading to the dormitory, popping out her earbuds and sitting up. “Please tell me it isn’t another mission Foresight wants him to do alone. The guy’s got spirit, but he’s only a rookie.”

Ignis only sighed, ascending the stairs back to his office. “Everyone, prepare for a mission in case this meeting goes longer than expected. The usual catch and release devices, and Lucia be sure to adjust Remi’s pack for rescue in case this goes as expected.”

Exactly nine minutes later, Galo burst through the door to Ignis’ office in his full uniform. It was a simple fitted black office suit, but the Burning Rescue logo was on the lapel and reflective red stripes along the collar and hem denoted the difference between scientists and “Secret Scientists”.

“Sorry for the wait Chief, is he on call?” Galo sat in one of the Chief’s chairs in front of his desk, wiping his brow and fixing his hair with a nervous grin.

“No, he sent a prerecorded message for you. I watched it in advance and devised our action plan, but he specifically wanted you for this mission.” Ignis reached over to his holoport remote and selected the video file to play, a small holographic screen popping up in front of Galo. Familiar coiffed hair and impersonal smile blinked into view, Galo instinctively straightening his back despite it being a recorded message.

“Hello Galo, I hope Burning Rescue Laboratory and Conservatory is treating you well.” Kray’s voice echoed from the device, Galo’s attention completely locked on the screen. He always felt his heart race when Kray would address him specifically, that his mentor would take the time to talk to him despite all of his duties.

“The office is a lot quieter without your usual brand of enthusiasm, as well as a lot less successful in our attempts in the capture of African light toads. A local medical group is on the verge of a breakthrough for paralysis treatment, and requires our help obtaining live samples. Please go and collect no less than 5 of the frogs, for the good of the people. I look forward to your successful response.” Kray’s request was short and to the point, his emphasis on the good of the people bringing a smile to Galo’s face. His benefactor was always working on ways to benefit humanity, effortlessly juggling the Secret Scientist regulations with the PR of the public sector. It made his heart sing to think he was helping his hero save lives.

“Well we’re all set to launch off for Cameroon, go get your tech and be on the launch pad in ten Rookie. Foresight already sent us the funds as thanks in advance, so don’t forget to read the bio report before you go thundering into the rainforest.” The screen disappeared, Ignis already standing with his arms crossed in front of him. “I’ll be piloting the main lab unit, Aina has the secondary mobil unit. You, Varys, and Remi will be collecting the frogs. Lucia will be providing backup tech support.”

Galo leapt to his feet, saluting with a bright grin. “Aye aye Cap!” With that, he whooped and rushed out to get ready for the mission, eyes alight with that unmistakable fire. 

Ignis was very much aware of his rookie’s situation, orphaned at a young age and indebted to such a powerful man for saving his life. He walked over to his bookshelf, picking up a picture of a fresh-faced Burning Rescue squad. A thought arose, like a hesitant whisper that tugged on his suspicions, but he shook his head and set the photo down.

“Here’s hoping Thymos can keep his shirt on this time.”

\---

“When you said I’d be training myself against a herd of frogs, I thought you were joking. This is entirely unnecessary.” Lio Fotia crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing on his generals as he stood in the center of the clearing. They were safely behind a large patch of vegetation, all grins and thumbs up.

“Listen Boss, if you’re going to be able to calm larger cryptids, you gotta start small. Besides, it’s not fair if you only ever practice with Shinryu and Detroit. They’re family. Step outta your comfort zone a little!” Gueira adjusted the heat sensor on his goggles, pressing a few buttons on his wrist controller as a miniature robot whizzed out to where Lio was standing. “I’ve got Mini Miami here to help you out in case anything goes wrong with the Flashlight Frogs, he’s set to tranq if anything becomes hostile towards ya.”

“I don’t need a babysitter, I need a goddamn drink.” Lio muttered, turning away and stalking towards a log nearby. “Meis, don’t even THINK about recording this either, I’ve had plenty of embarrassment today thank you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Boss.” Meis had already turned on the camcorder in his headset, leaning back against a rock with a small smirk. “Now don’t forget to breathe through your nose, focus your mind, and-”

“And FEEL the fire around me, yes I KNOW Meis.” Lio snapped, sitting down with a huff. “Honestly, it’s like I’m sixteen all over again with the Agogwe.”

“It doesn’t help you still dress the same.” That solicited a snort from Gueira. “If there’s an emergency, I’m not extracting you from all those belts.” Meis shrugged, “And that was one of the worst recon missions I’ve ever experienced, the poor Agogwe looked so shaken after you tried to speak to it-”

“And the primate cryptid proceeded to pelt us with feces, effectively ruining our stealth cover, I know.” Lio sighed, “It’s been years since then, the least you two can do is trust me with a frog for fuck’s sake.”

“Lio-”

“No I’m serious, you guys raised me after what happened, and I’ll always be grateful, but I’m in my early twenties and being treated like a child!”

“Lio-”

“Listen, guys, it isn’t fair for a young adult to have such a strict-”

The Mini Miami let out a soft beep, spinning in a small circle, it’s small cybernetic arms almost smacking it’s unnecessarily large horns as it warned for an approaching organism. Lio paused his rant to look down, frown deepening by the sudden alert. It was only in that moment that Lio felt something land on the log he was sitting on, and his eyes went wide as a large albino frog blinked at him.

“Oh. Hello there.” Lio’s voice dropped to a whisper, his generals waving their arms frantically from behind the bushes. “Nice of you to finally show yourself.”

“Boss be careful!! Their spit is toxic and their horn’s flash will sear your corneas if you make it mad, don’t make any sudden movements.” Gueira frantically began to type on his controller, the Mini Miami slowly reversing to a vantage point where he could safely deploy their tranquilizer and netting.

“Don’t worry Gueira, I’ve got this.” Lio was unsurprisingly the most calm of the three of them, even Meis was checking to see if their airship was ready in case of an emergency exit via holopad. “Just be ready with a large enough containment unit in case they bring out some friends.”

“Aye aye Boss, just don’t panic. The emotional link will make the cryptid feel whatever you’re feeling, so if you panic just yell and we’ll take over.” Meis released his vice grip on his holo pad, putting it in his back pocket and resting a hand on his partner’s shoulder. Gueira almost instantly seemed to unclench his teeth and relax, if only a fraction, from the reassuring touch.

“Psh, when do I ever panic?” Lio casually tossed his hair back, slowly standing up while keeping the frog’s gaze. He pressed a hand into his back pocket, drawing out a small piece of metal. “Now little light frog, let’s see if you like to play with fire.” With a click, the metal unlocked and elongated into an elegant bo staff, the metal glinting in the evening sun with a rainbow sheen. The sudden acquisition of the weaponry made the frog puff up a bit, but Lio tutted softly and reached out with a gentle smile.

“Promise, I won’t hurt you little guy. I just wish to talk.” A soft pink glow began to emanate from the palm of Lio’s outstretched hand, like a small ball of light that seemed to jump from his palm to dance along his fingertips. The light frog perked up, it’s eyes centering on the flare for just a moment before it enveloped the frog itself with a sudden burst of light. As the glow began to settle, it set alight the frog’s normally orange eyes with a pink hue, almost as if they were aflame.

“That’s it Lio, focus on the connection. Don’t let your mind be clouded, just focus on the feel of the flame.” Gueira slowly crept forward, his footsteps almost silent as he got close enough to do a regular bio scan of the frog. Vitals were normal, and no erratic heartbeat indicated that Lio had done a good job soothing the frog’s fears.

“Just shut up and get the poison sample you wanted, before the amphibian entourage arrives.” Lio felt a bead of sweat roll down his cheek, his hand still outstretched as he poured his energy into keeping the frog calm as Meis walked up with a tester swab and tube. “You know these guys travel in herds.”

“Yes, yes we know Your Highness.” Meis swabbed the tongue of the frog carefully, letting the saliva drip into the tube with practiced ease. “Unclench your teeth or you’ll complain later about it.”

Lio let out a breath he didn’t notice he’d been holding as Gueira and Meis retreated to their former hiding spot behind the bush, his focus flickering for just a moment as he sighed in relief. The flames on the frog’s eyes flickered as well, the frog blinking at Lio as if to wonder why he was relaxing.

“Oh don’t worry little guy, I’m not worried about them. They know what they’re doing… most of the time.” Lio smiled, leaning on his staff. “Anyways, sorry about all that. You probably want to head back to your family right?” The frog, of course, did not respond but Lio felt what the cryptid was feeling so it wasn’t as if he hadn’t completely been ignored.

“We’re having Mini Miami transport the sample back, you doing alright?” Gueira called out, the mini robot whizzing back behind the bush and speeding away through the undergrowth. Meis smacked his partner’s back, making Gueira stumble a bit.

“Don’t interrupt Lio’s concentration.”

“I wasn’t trying to-”

As the two began to bicker, Lio rolled his eyes and straightened up. The mission had been successful for once. A weird feeling nagged him in the back of his head, like something was watching him as he glanced over to the underbrush across the clearing.

“Guys, I don’t think we’re alone out here anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holler if you know which cryptids I've ref'd so far~
> 
> Hmu on @striderincident if you want to jump into our Promare discord/cry with me about cryptidzoology & TSS lore
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU ENJOYED!!! let me know if there's a cryptid you wanna see Lio/Galo WRASSLE Extra kudos comments are absolutely wonderful and highly loved <3


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Galo loses his shirt, Aina loses a Galo, and Lio loses his mind. Frogs.

Galo Thymos was known for being stupid on the job. It was part of his schtick, but he wasn’t dumb. As they landed in the tropical forest, the sight of ruins from their landing windows was like a light switch in his brain.

“Uh hey, Chief?” Galo leaned forward, the straps holding him in his seat barely doing their job. “Do you think we could, uh, do a little recon nearby? These coordinates have a lil’ more merit than just the frog hunt for Governor Kray.” He tried his best to keep his tone professional, but his leg was bouncing.

“Bet you wanna run around in the ruins again, don’tcha Galo?” Lucia snickered, leaning back in her chair to look over at him. “Last time Chief let you loose, didn’t you come back covered in webs and screaming bloody murder?”

Galo felt his face flush at the memory, shaking his head quickly. “Nah, must’ve been during an Amazonian trip I caught up with those spiders. Those ruins were the Mayan ones that had hints of Sumerian trade. With proof that humans were able to brave the seas during that era-”

“Rookie, you’re clear to investigate the ruins.” Ignis cut off their conversation suddenly, Galo’s eyes going wide with surprise. “However, you need Aina with you. Remi and Lucia, you two will focus on tracking the frogs. Varys you’re with me on bio work. If the target is found before you get to the ruins, you’ll all three come back to finish the mission.”

“Awww Chief, you’re spoiling him!” Aina groaned over her communicator, her landing protocol safely placing her flight unit next to their bigger mobile lab unit. “I don’t wanna play babysitter, I want to get these frogs and go home. This climate is not good for my tech, and my flight unit needs maintenance.”

Ignis switched her communication channel to his personal communicator, waving away Lucia and Varys to help remove Galo from his twisted restraint belts. “Foresight wanted him here for some reason, and I intend to find out why. The last mission with him was a disaster that almost got him killed in numerous ways, and I intend to keep every single Burning Rescue member alive. Aina, you know why I’m keeping you with the Rookie.”

“Chief…” Aina felt her heart twinge, “I guess I can keep an eye on him. But if he does his stupid rambling thing, I’m dragging him back no matter what.” She hopped out of her unit with a grin, her boots landing gracefully in the loamy soil.

She looked up, seeing Galo with Varys and Lucia by the landing bay of the lab unit, and smiled to herself. They were talking excitedly about something regarding the soil composition, from the looks of Lucia holding a fistful of dirt.

“Just keep an eye on him. He’s part of our family now, for better or for worse. Burning Rescue looks out for our own.” Chief’s voice cut out as he stepped out of the cockpit of the lab unit, his sunglasses reflecting in the evening sun. He glanced across the treetops, towards the peak of a ruined building, and tried to ignore the yells of indignity as Lucia shoved dirt down Galo’s shirt. He cleared his throat loudly, stopping the team in their tracks.

“Burning Rescue Scientists, move out!”

~~~

“How in the BLOODY HELL did we get to this point!?” Lio screamed, ducking under a large tree root as he ran for his life from a swarm of Light Frogs hopping after him. The man he was running with was NOT Meis or Gueira, he was some shirtless dude with a blue mohawk who just happened to be in the same goddamn predicament as him. And miraculously, the guy was keeping up with Lio’s breakneck pace through the undergrowth.

“I don’t know!?!” The guy yelled, “Last I remember I was in some old ruins with Aina, the next I’m being chased and ended up out here with you! What did you even DO to these Light Frogs?”

“I didn’t DO anything! You said you came from the ruins, right? Well those ruins are LOADED with traps, and in a matter of moments YOU barrelled into ME, scattering these fucking frogs which are DEADLY to normal people-” Lio inhaled as they both jumped over another root together at the same time, “and separating ME from my teammates!”

“Well SORRY I have a natural born curiosity!” The guy whined, ducking and shrieking when a Light Frog lashed it’s tongue out at his head, “Shit! The backpack I’d worn with my rescue gear and S.O.S. flares is back at my camp! How do we stop these things from chasing us?!”

“Just get ready to hide when I tell you.” Lio tightened his grip on his bo staff, “This is why I never accept a successful mission…” He grumbled to himself, pulling a small bit of rope from his bag with a lure attached to the end.

“Wait why are YOU out here?! You’re not a poacher, are you?” The guy dodged another stray frog attack, his attention seemingly split between avoiding the frogs and looking directly at Lio. It was almost impressive, had they not been running for their lives from possibly the stupidest stampede.

“Poachers are a pox on society, but what I do is none of your concern. You’re gonna have to trust me, the cliffside I’d seen earlier is almost upon us.” Lio retorted, his pink eyes flicking up once to lock onto blue eyes for only a moment before he went back to fashioning a noose and pulley with his extra belts.

“CLIFF?! Oh god oh god… Alright, I trust you dude.” The guy seemed to have a moment’s hesitation before he finally affirmed himself, “Wait how do I hide?”

“There’s going to be a…” Lio’s concentration flickered as he closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, feeling the flames of the living creatures around him until he honed in on a relatively empty spot. “Aha! I... recall seeing a clearing to the left, right before the cliff. You run that way, I’ll throw the bait and duck the other way.” He felt the tip of his boot scuff the edge of a rock, throwing his momentum off and breaking his concentration as he pitched forward. “Shit-”

“Gotcha!” The guy had a firm grip on Lio’s wrist, turning his almost-fall into a stumble. “Can’t have you tapping out now dude, let’s get this plan into ACTION!” Once Lio was running beside him again, he pulled his arm away harshly and glared at the strange guy.

“Thank you, but please refrain from touching me.”

“The name’s Galo, by the way!”

“Thank you Galo- NOW!” Lio yelled, shoving Galo aside and spinning around, hurling the ropes toward a nearby branch. He heard Galo take off in the other direction, sighing internally with relief. As the frogs barreled towards him, Lio pulled a pair of sunglasses and a small switch from his pack, smirking as he activated the bait flare.

“Boom.”

A flash of incredibly harsh light and what sounded like a firecracker erupted from Lio’s bait flare, stunning the first section of frogs in their tracks. Lio batted away confused frogs with his bo staff, backing up from the light carefully. The tip of his staff glowed the same pink glow that emanated from behind his shades, and all at once the noises of the frogs stopped. It was almost deafening how quiet the herd was.

“Alright, go on now… Back to your, huff, ponds.” Lio pressed his influence on them carefully, imploring them with his mind to retreat. After the last frog had seemingly turned back, Lio released his power and felt his legs wobble beneath him. He’d been so focused on the fire within the frogs, taming their confusion, that he didn’t see how close he was to the edge of the cliff. And with a sharp cry, Lio toppled backwards off of the cliff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think, even if it's a "Kudos x2" I'd love to hear it :3 New Year new cliffhanger lets GOOOOOOOO-


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lio: sees a himbo  
> Lio:  
> Lio:  
> Lio: well i can't NOT be that dramatic bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back from ALA with a fire in my heart and a BIGGER update this time~

“GOTCHA!!!”

His sunglasses had fallen off his face into the ravine below, a shame, but luckily his bo staff was firmly grasped in his left hand. His right hand was currently being death-gripped by a buff, shirtless, blue-haired weirdo with the biggest grin on his face.

Lio let his eyes flicker downwards for a second, reaffirming that he’d just barely avoided death yet again this evening, before making eye-contact with Galo. “You saved me again.”

“All part of the job, dude.” With some joint-effort, Lio was safely back on solid ground, the two sitting beside each other wheezing from their brush with danger. “Nifty, hah, trick you had there. Stun the Light Frogs with their own trick to scatter ‘em. Hundred points for style. Can’t figure out why they all left though. Ain’t looking a gift horse in the mouth or whatever, thank god they’re gone.” Galo pushed his hair back with one hand, his voice a little shaky from adrenaline.

“...” Lio just focused on his breathing, trying to ignore Galo’s enthusiasm as his brain raced with the images and thoughts of falling to his death. They were invasive, pushing his relief away and forcing a permeating feeling of nausea over him.

“Uh… you alright?” Galo’s voice became hushed, “Your pupils are really big dude, need some space?” When he got no reply, he scooted away about two feet and crossed his legs to sit facing away from Lio. “No worries, I’ll be here if you need me.”

“......” Lio’s heart rate was way too high, he could feel his pulse thundering in his ears. The danger had passed, the frogs were gone. His bio tracker in his watch would alert Meis and Gueira to where he was, he was going to be okay. He repeated the mantra in his head until the pounding in his chest began to fade, his breathing evening out slowly.

“You okay?” Lio’s head whipped up to see Galo still sitting there, faced away from him but his tone was worried. It seemed Galo wasn’t the patient type, his knee bouncing and his back hunched like he was going to stand at any moment.

“Mhm.” Lio stood up shakily, propping himself up with his bo staff. Galo stood up quickly, fussing over him as they walked towards the clearing from earlier. Despite his best efforts, Lio would not respond to his questions. He remained tight-lipped as they walked, and Galo eventually took Lio’s silence as a means to start a one-sided conversation, to which Lio surprisingly did not find completely annoying. It kept the images in his head at bay, and it helped to calm him down.

A little part of Lio wondered if Galo had experience with people like him.

“So Aina and I split off from our group, Aina’s like the coolest person I know besides my boss, and she picks me up and hurls me over this platform like I was a stuffed animal! She’s way strong from piloting and boxing, so she gets me over these traps like it was nothing!” Galo’s arms wave around childishly, “But of course when I get to the main room with the actual writing on the walls, Indiana Jones style I swap out the relic for a bag of sand-”

“...Isn’t that trope unrealistic?” Lio interrupted before he could realize he’d contributed to the conversation, to which Galo spun around to face him with a big smile.

“Nah man, it worked! I’d tossed the relic to Aina and then tripped on a wire! And then that huge ball showed up, I dropped into this tunnel and ran into you!” He pointed at Lio, “So thanks for saving my bacon, dude!”

Lio stood there, staring at this large man with blue hair and an unreasonably large smile despite the fact that they both had almost just died from a stampede of toxic frogs, and had no idea what to say. He usually hated conversations that weren’t with Meis and Gueira, and here he was standing with a shirtless man from possibly an enemy group in the Morroccan jungle chatting as if they’d been friends. Oh, wait.

“Lio.”

“What?”

“My name.” Lio glanced down at his feet, that familiar feeling of shyness washing over him. He was never good with introductions, came with the territory. “It’s Lio. I’m a scientist, not a poacher.”

“Oh sweet, I’m a scientist too!” Galo beamed, “Well more of a Secret Scientist, what with cryptidzoology not really a viable field of study in the public sector ‘n all... Sorry I interrupted your study of the Light Frogs.“ He scratched his head, visibly sheepish. “Hopefully my teammates saw the flare and can find me soon.”

“It’s alright, we already got our toxin samples so…” Lio caught himself before he could say anything else, biting his lip. “My wrist scanner says that there’s people approaching by land about twenty meters away, seems like your team’s almost here.” He noticed a familiar airship rounding the treeline, his heart soaring. “And seems like my teammates found me as well.”

Galo held out his fist, “Hate to leave without a customary fistbump, even if we just met ‘n all. For a job well done!”

Lio blinked, then snorted quietly with a smile, “Sure, Galo. Thanks for ruining my mission and almost dying with me. And… for saving my life.” He raised his hand and lightly tapped his fist against Galo’s, the simple gesture almost setting Galo alight with excitement.

“Sorry but not really sorry again, and thanks for saving me from those frogs, Lio.” Hearing his name from Galo made Lio’s cheeks tingle with an unfamiliar feeling. “Well if you guys are also scientists, maybe we could collab sometime on a mission? You seem like you can hold your own pretty damn well. Not to mention you’re so badass!”

“You mentioned that Burning Rescue is a government funded operation, right?” Lio stood up straight, walking towards the nearby edge of the cliffside. Galo followed him, curious as to how he was going to board that airship. “Well that puts you in the public eye, albeit rarely so as to avoid scaring the public too much. My group, however, doesn’t really enjoy the public eye-”

“GALO THYMOS I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW I’M GOING TO FIND YOU AND SHOOT YOU WITH MY TRANQUILIZER GUN.” Aina’s voice cut through the air, startling both Lio and Galo with how sudden her voice rang out.

“COMING!!” Galo hollered, turning to see Lio with a small knowing smile. His bo staff was gone, and his eyes seemed to glow like fire in the moonlight. “What’re you-”

“Goodnight, Galo Thymos. Hopefully we won’t meet again soon. Burnish aren’t known for their saintly public image.” Lio flashed a grin, stepping back off the edge and disappearing without a sound.

Galo shrieked, running to the edge and looking down. Lio was nowhere to be seen, but a strange, almost reptilian screech, echoed out. Suddenly a large archaic cryptid flew overhead, the screech startling Galo onto his backside. Sitting comfortably on it’s back was Lio, his laughter ringing like a bell as he flew on what seemed to be a pterosaur. As Burning Rescue ran to Galo’s aid, the cryptid and Lio flew into the hold of the airship.

“Galo what happened, are you alright?” Remi kneeled down, “Who the hell was that we saw just now?”

“I... “ Galo was completely and utterly gobsmacked, for once he was without words for how goddamn cool Lio was just then. “He was a scientist just like us, he saved my life. He just jumped off a cliff to ride a goddamn dinosaur, holy SHIT that was so COOL!”

“But he looked like a kid, from what I saw of him on that pterosaur’s back. You sure he’s a scientist, Rookie?” Varys helped him stand, Remi checking him for injuries while Lucia held a very pissed Aina back from increasing his injury count. “Not some poacher with a sweet ride?”

“I’m sure of it, he knew how to tame Light Frogs and stopped them from killing us. He’s a Secret Scientist, just like the rest of us. He saved my life.” Galo thumped his fist against his chest, remembering the small smile and the gloved hand that had returned his fistbump.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get you back to Chief so we can turn in for the night. We caught the frogs on their way back, you two scared ‘em absolutely shitless so that made their capture easier.” Varys patted his back, “Job well done, I’d say.”

“Might I suggest a kevlar shirt next time, so you don’t get it ripped off your body again like a bad porn model? Your tiddies are glistening in the moonlight, dude.” Lucia quipped, Galo’s scandalized gasp making them all laugh. “Chief’s on the way with the flight unit on autopilot, so I wanna hear all the juicy details on your harrowing escape from death. Gruesome details encouraged.”

Aina’s eyes were still trained on the mysterious airship soaring away, her gut twisting at the sight of the symbol on the side. A large pink triangle, with  _ MB _ cut out of the bottom. “Galo you said those guys were Secret Scientists like us, did they tell you their name?”

“Yeah he said something like Amish… No, no wait it was Burnish. I asked if he’d collab with us sometime but he turned me down. Guess some guys like their privacy.” Galo shrugged, his teammates falling silent as they all stared back at the airship with apprehension. “What?”

“Parnassus, our government HQ, has a file on them for borderline illegal raids on cryptid facilities, as well as multiple instances where they intervened with government operations. They’re  _ the _ Mad Burnish, Galo.” Aina looked back at Galo, whose eyes were now focused on the airship with an unreadable expression. “They’re not poachers, but they’re definitely not the good guys.”

~~~

Lio was beginning to nurse a headache from how loud Gueira was getting, his initial barebones description of the events that took place upon their separation in the jungle sending him into a coughing fit. The retelling was less sparse with details, but when he’d described his conversation with Galo, his generals stared at him in shock.

“You told him your NAME?” Gueira slammed his hands on his control panel, glaring down at Lio from his pilot seat. “You told Burning Rescue’s newest rookie your first name, AND told him you were part of Mad Burnish!? What the fuck were you THINKING Lio?!”

“Volume, Gueira. Detroit’s eyeing your head, and I’m not stopping her if she moves.” Meis sat adjacent to Lio, the two sitting at computers by the airship’s front gun turrets. Lio’s screen was playing a promotional video in a corner, with three tabs open behind it on the de facto website for Burning Rescue. “Lio, you realize that we’ve been hiding you from government eyes for almost a decade and a half, right? Because-”

“Because my aunt and her team were murdered, yes I know.” Lio’s voice was strained, “By Kray fucking Foresight. The man who runs the most despicable ring of cryptid smuggling I’ve ever had the displeasure to witness.” He clicked open another tab, fingers flying over the keys before his screen enlarged big enough so Gueira could see it from his seat above them on the bridge. “The same man who supplies Burning Rescues 1, 2, and Galo Thymos’ Burning Rescue Team 3 with the money to continue their beneficial cryptid research.”

“Exactly, so why in the hell did you go and say your name to that kid?” Gueira eyed Detroit with unease as he sat back down in his chair. “If he blabs and Foresight realizes you’re still alive, it’s all over for us. You didn’t have your helmet on, so he knows what you look like too!”

Detroit had one eye open from her nest, her gaze not locked on Gueira, but on his hair. She loved to nip at it whenever he got too mad, and as Lio’s unofficially adopted sister she could do no wrong in his eyes. She glanced over at Lio, who shook his head, and she sighed, closing her eyes fully to finish her nap. Better luck next time when Meis wasn’t around to catch her.

“We had no idea there would be anyone in the area, we were already on the ground by then. Their operation and ours just happened to coincide, and by pure dumb luck and my brains we survived. The least I could do was introduce myself.” Lio huffed, crossing his arms. “Plus it’s about time I was acknowledged as a member of Mad Burnish. I didn’t tell him my last name, and if my guess is right his teammates told those dumb stories about us from Foresight’s file.”

“You put our life’s work in jeopardy for some…” Gueira spluttered, throwing his hands in the air. “...some goddamn rookie’s favor? Who are you and what have you done with Lio Fotia, the twenty something year old leader of Mad Burnish who hates speaking to humans more than eating his own SHIT!?”

“Language, Gueira.” Meis glared, effectively shutting Gueira up. “That was uncalled for. You don’t have to resort to name-calling to get the point across.”

“If you’re going to question my motives without letting me finish, I’m done for the night. He saved my life, he’s definitely different compared to one of Foresight’s brainless lackeys. If I see him again in one of our scheduled raids, I’ll admit I was wrong. Goodnight.” Lio stood up and walked up to the bridge, giving Gueira a glare that sent a shiver down his spine. He walked out the bridge door to the upper deck, the automatic door shutting behind him with a soft hiss.

Meis watched Lio go with an impassive face, but he looked up at Gueira with dismay and regret as soon as the door shut. “We fucked up.”

“No, I sure as hell did, but I just… What was he thinking?! Our benefactor’s already hopping countries to avoid Foresight, who knows if that kid’ll blab to Foresight about us? About Lio?” Gueira slumped forward against his controls, head in his hands. “Oh god, Lio… If anything were to happen to him-”

“It’ll never come to that.” Meis was up and at his side in a flash, one hand steadily rubbing circles into Gueira’s tense back. “Lio’s strong, stronger than anyone I’ve known. With powers like his, he could stop the Promare from taking control of the world. It’s just as Deux told us before when he saw Lio’s powers, he’s the key to stopping the Promare. He won’t fall because of Foresight, he won’t fall from trivial crap like that.”

“The kid’s still so young, with such a burden on him. It’s not fair, having to keep him from the world knowing he’s supposed to save it without so much as a thank you from anyone. We’re all he’s got.” Gueira looked up, his eyes rimmed red. “Why didn’t we just go back to Australia that first time we lived there, let Lio grow up with other kids…”

“He wanted this. We tried to give him a normal life, but every time he strayed back towards the cryptids. It’s who he is, it’s his destiny.” Meis leaned down, hugging Gueira tightly. “We’re not to interfere with his destiny, it’s his right.”

“I just hope the data we stole from the last raid is decrypted soon, Deux has been quiet for a month now. I hate not knowing about the supernatural shit that Lio’s ‘destiny’ is mixed up in.” Gueira sighed, leaning back into Meis’ arms. “Wanna watch some cute cat videos now that we’re at cruising altitude?”

“You read my mind.” Meis smiled, letting Gueira snuggle up to his side as they sat together in the pilot’s seat, the holoscreen widening to display a playlist labeled [SAD DADS].

“Swear to god, Lio renames everything when our backs are turned.” Gueira chuckled, letting the video playlist start as they got comfortable. “I’ll apologize to him in the morning when we get back to the house, otherwise Detroit’ll have me bald by noon.”

“You better.” Meis couldn’t help but look back at the door, before focusing on snuggling his partner. He could only hope Lio would forgive them for their fear.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK SO I COMMISSIONED MY FRIEND COLLEEN FOR ART OF LIO FROM THIS AU AND HOLY SHIT????? LOOK AT THIS FUCKIN GOOD KUSH
>
>> Can I just cry about how my commission from [@SolarCitrus](https://twitter.com/SolarCitrus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) is so fumkcing PRETTY he SPARKLES! ✨🔥💫 my cryptid au!Lio from my fic was a galaxy brain commission idea and I LOVE U COLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN [pic.twitter.com/P6RjhHUA3S](https://t.co/P6RjhHUA3S)
>> 
>> — Green DPS 👻 (@striderincident) [January 14, 2020](https://twitter.com/striderincident/status/1216950270787121153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)


End file.
